The Great Family Feud
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Follows Enemy's Enemy - Dekker wants his son back.
1. The Threat

_Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Power Rangers: (Super) Samurai. This is purely fan-made._

* * *

Serena shook her head. Maybe the Rangers needed some time away from the Shiba House. It was obvious just how bored they were.

Well, obvious to her. To anyone else, the Shiba House would look like a nuthouse where there was never a dull moment. A few irritating ones, but there was always something happening.

"Come in, Sergeant Lazy Pants. Do you read me?"

Serena shook her head as she walked by Emily in the hallway. Emily and Mike had started a new mission, with new codenames. Now that everyone in the house knew who Pooh-Bear and Honeybee were, the old names were useless. Serena would keep them on her phone, however. They were too funny to change.

"C'mon, really?" Mike poked his head out from around the corner, "Sergeant Lazy Pants? I thought we agreed on Captain Awesome."

"When you were late for your own mission, your name changed," Emily answered. Again they weren't actually using walkie-talkies. This mission was to recover the walkie-talkies that Mia had taken. From what Serena gathered from walking around the house aimlessly (she actually was bored), Mia was Princess Peach, Emily was Banana Bread, and Kevin was Smurf. Serena didn't know anyone else's names, but knowing Mike and Emily, they had come up with something.

Emily looked up at Serena, who had already promised not to interfere in the mission. As childish as it was, it was entertaining, and Serena needed to be entertained, "Are you sure you don't want to help?"

"The sock is on the floor. Move, Banana Bread, move!" Mike called and Emily jumped to her feet after lying low, keeping out of sight. She ran into the kitchen and ducked behind the counters, hiding just in time to avoid being caught as Mentor Ji walked by. When he was out of sight, Emily poked her head up.

"Banana Bread is in the kitchen."

"Captain Awesome is headed for Planet Spotless. You have about three minutes to get the radios and get back to home base. Good luck, Banana Bread."

"I don't know who Captain Awesome is, but good luck to him," Emily teased. "As for you, Sergeant Lazy Pants, you should really do something or I'll demote you to Private Do-Nothing."

Serena rolled her eyes, "I wish he was Private Do-Nothing," she glanced down the hallway and smirked at Mike, "I could sleep a little easier at night."

"I'm Captain Awesome and I'm going in. Over and out!"

Serena watched as Mike hurried off to Mia and Kevin's room, likely to distract them while Emily jumped up on the counters and searched the very top shelves for the missing walkie-talkies.

"Abort mission!" Mike cried running out of Mia and Kevin's room, "Princess Peach and Smurf are on the move. Abort mission!"

"Got one!" Emily said, pulling one walkie-talkie out from the very back of the cupboard. Before she could do much celebrating, Mike grabbed her, lowered her to the ground, and pulled her along as he started running back to the bedroom. Just before they made it, Serena saw a symbol hit them both in the back and then stretch around them, biding their arms to their sides and throwing them off balance so they hit the floor.

Then the walkie-talkie came to life, "Peach and Smurf: one. Private Do-Nothing and Banana Bread: zero."

Serena clapped her hands together, "That was awesome."

"Back-up. We need back-up!" Mike cried as he struggled with the symbol, trying to break free.

"Serena," Emily whispered, "You're Back Up!"

"Backing up," Serena nodded, slowly stepping away, "and walking away. Good luck you two."

As she left to find something else to do or more nonsense to watch, Kevin and Mia stepped out of their hiding spot and looked to Mike and Emily with a shake of their heads.

"You never learn," Mia said as she learned over and picked up the walkie-talkie the two younger Rangers had just recovered. "Now we've got to find someplace better to hide this one."

"The symbol will fade after ten minutes," Kevin promised, "Just enough time for us to hide that walkie-talkie."

"Party poopers," Mike muttered as he managed to sit up, "You know we'll just come up with another mission to get it back, right?"

"We love beating you at your own game," Mia gave Mike a tap on the head. As she and Kevin were about to leave, the Gap Sensor sounded. Mike and Emily grinned while Kevin and Mia sighed, reluctantly letting the two Samurai free.

"Saved by the bell," Mike said as he helped Emily up to her feet and the four of them met the others in the common room. Jayden pulled up the map.

"Dekker and Dayu," he turned to the window, "And they're right outside."

"Not another siege," Antonio groaned. "Seriously, Dayu and Dekker should keep us in the loop. If I had known they were going to try this again, I would have caught more fish."

Serena looked out the window curiously and then stormed off outside. She had made a deal with Dekker that they would leave each other alone, and part of that deal included him keeping Dayu away from the Samurai. Standing right outside her door was a huge violation of the agreement, and if Dekker didn't back away, she would let him know she was out for blood.

When she got to the gate she swung it wide open, finding herself face to face with Dekker and Dayu. The only thing keeping them from attacking her and the others was the shield. They couldn't break through it.

"You said…"

"My son," Dekker growled, "Where is my son?"

Serena didn't even flinch, trying to keep her composure, but inside she was panicking. Dayu had told him the truth. Serena knew that if Dekker ever found out, he would want Terran. She would never let him take her son.

"What son?"

"Mine!" Dekker roared, about to smash his fists into the shield when he stopped. If he touched it, he would be blasted back and weakened considerably. Instead, Dekker drew Urumasa and held it out, pointing it at Serena, "I want my son. You have no right to take him from me. You had no right to hide him."

"Serena…"

"Shh," Serena quickly glanced over her shoulder at Emily and the others, knowing they were equally worried. Terran was her son, but he was also their baby boy.

"Where is my son?" Dekker shouted again.

"He's napping," Serena answered. "You shouldn't wake him."

"Bring him to me," Dekker lowered Urumasa slightly and held out his hand; "I want to see him."

Serena stepped forward so she was right in Dekker's face, with only the shield between them, "Over my dead body."

Dekker cried and swung Urumasa in his attempt to attack Serena but he only hit the shield. Though Urumasa wasn't a Nighlok, the shield could pick up on its evil energy and stopped the blade from passing through. Before Dekker could know what was happening, he was blasted back and felt like he had been hit by a truck. As he struggled to get up to his feet, Serena glared at Dayu.

"You…"

"Only did what you should have done from the start."

"Terran's just a baby!" Serena shrieked, "He doesn't need psycho dad and bitch step-mom!"

Dayu stepped up so she was almost nose to nose with Serena, "I can't wait to pry your son from your arms. All the better if you're alive to watch me do it."

Serena maintained her composure, holding her gaze with Dayu and refusing to back down. Behind her, Emily lunged forward but was caught by Mike and Antonio before she could get far.

"You'll never…" she was cut off when Mike put his hand over her mouth. He didn't want her to say anything in case it gave Dayu any clues or ideas. Right now, Serena was playing it off like she had Terran napping in the house, when he was really out in the city with James. If Emily said something too close to the truth she would be putting Terran in even more danger. No one wanted that.

Dekker was finally back on his feet and stood side by side with Dayu. He glared at Serena, "I will not stop until I have my son. The deal is off!"

Dekker smashed his fist into the shield again, forgetting he would bounce right off. Serena watched him hit the ground and slowly pick himself up as Dayu came to his side to help. When he was back on his feet he stormed off. Serena heard him swearing he wouldn't be too far.

When he was out of earshot, or so Serena hoped, she turned around and looked at Emily. Mike and Antonio were just letting go of her.

"You will not leave unless you bring two people with you. Got it?"

"Serena…"

"Don't argue with me!" Serena shouted. "If you break that one rule, I'll kill you myself so they can't. Got it?"

"But…"

"Shut up, Emily," Serena said and then stormed off into the house to find a way to warn James. Dekker and Dayu weren't onto him yet, but it was only a matter of time before they realized Terran wasn't inside the house.

Serena slammed the door as she walked inside. Emily looked to the gate. Now that Serena had forbidden it, she wanted to just step across the line, just to piss her sister off. She wasn't happy about the new rule, but she had enough sense to know why it had been put in place.

So instead, she stomped over to the bench, sat down, and started to sulk. Mike followed, taking the spot beside her.

"She just wants to keep you safe," he wrapped his arms around her. "It's not like you can't go anywhere."

"If I break up with you, will you turn her life into hell?"

"You wouldn't break up with me for that, would you?"

Emily sighed, "Hypothetically."

"Dekker's a big bully," Mike nodded his head, "But he's not going to win. I promise."


	2. Assembling An Army

Antonio knocked before letting himself in. Just as he expected, he found Emily sitting alone on her bed.

"Hey Honeybee," he smirked, taking a seat next to her.

"It's Banana Bread now."

"I prefer Honeybee," Antonio said. He looked Emily in the eyes, "You're not thinking of sneaking off, are you?"

"I'm not allowed to leave the house unless I bring half the team with me," Emily muttered, tugging on the end of her blanket. "It's not exactly sneaking out when half the people I know, know where I am."

"I don't know how long this is going to last," Antonio smiled, "but Mike had a talk with us just now and we know this is unfair for you. Serena's your sister, but not every mistake she makes should cost you. So, as long as you and Mike don't go too overboard, if you and he want to go on a date or something, none of us mind playing third-wheel."

Emily looked up at Antonio with a little spark in her eye. She hated the feeling of being trapped inside the house, especially when it had crossed her mind that under Serena's new rules, Emily wouldn't get time alone with Mike unless everyone left the house. Though technically Emily was old enough to ignore Serena's rules and do her own thing, she knew what Serena was trying to do. Though Dayu and Dekker were going after Terran, there was nothing stopping them from attacking anyone else Serena loved. Her parents, James, and Emily especially were all in danger, on top of a defenseless Terran. Emily didn't want to worry her sister.

"You will?"

"Yeah," Antonio nodded. "I mean, I don't mind. You and Mike are pretty cool. Jayden can blend into the background in social situations anyways. Mia and Kevin are willing to escort too, but I wouldn't choose them if I were you."

"Why not?"

"Big brother Kevin? If he's not being all protective big brother for you, he'll be teasing Mike all night. Not really a great escort. And no one wants to bring Momma Pink on a date except Kevin."

Emily reached out, wrapping her arms around Antonio, giving the gold Ranger the biggest hug she could muster up, "Thanks, Antonio. That means a lot."

"Fortunately, there are enough girls in the house for you to be okay for girls' days," Antonio chuckled, patting her back, "So don't invite me to those. Just dates. Actually, preferably we make it double dates."

"We'll see," Emily chuckled. Then she heard someone yelling from down the hall. Now that her door was open, she could finally hear what was going on in the rest of the house. She turned to Antonio, slightly horrified. He scratched the back of his neck.

"Uh, yeah, I also came in to tell you Serena's cursing at the phone and she's gone psycho. We've all tried to calm her down but I think we've only made it worse," he grabbed her arm and started to pull her along, "We figure she won't hurt you."

Antonio was almost wrong. As soon as he got Emily into the common room, a phone was thrown right at them and it soared over Emily's head. Had she been any taller, she would have been down for the count, based on the damage in the wall behind her. Emily gulped and looked up at Antonio, "I'm glad I didn't eat _all_ my vegetables as a kid now."

Very hesitantly, Emily approached Serena, who was trying to calm down after almost leaving a phone shaped dent in her sister's forehead.

"Serena…"

"The son of a bitch won't answer his phone," Serena growled. She ripped Emily's Samuraizer from her pocket, "Can I borrow yours?"

Emily snatched her Samuraizer back, "Not if you're going to be using it as a projectile to take off human heads. Maybe James has a reason for not answering…"

"He has my son, Emily," Serena said, "My son is in danger. Two psychos are about to kidnap him and this bastard won't answer a freaking phone call?"

"Serena, breathe," Emily instructed, "Terran is James' son too. He might not know Terran's in trouble, but Dayu and Dekker don't know he's not here, and if they do find out where he is before we can talk to James, I'm sure Terran will still be safe. James will do anything to keep him safe."

Serena shook her head, "I'll tell him myself."

As she got up to leave, Emily grabbed her arm, pulling her back, "Serena, you can't! I want to go out there too and take him back, but if we leave, we're going to be followed and we're going to lead them right to Terran! Think about it, Serena. Think about what's best for Terran!"

"You keep trying to reach James," Mia instructed Serena with a little smirk on her lips, "We'll work on creating a safe house for Terran. Even if Dayu and Dekker figure out where he is, there's no way in hell they'll get within a hundred feet from him. I promise."

Serena looked to Mia curiously but then took Emily's Samuraizer back and started calling James over and over again, praying each time he would pick up. While Emily sat by her side, keeping her from putting the house in danger again, Mia got up and signalled for the boys to follow her. The assembled in the dojo and they could tell Mia had something in mind.

"What are you thinking?"

"Split them all up," Mia said. "Serena's worried Dayu will do anything to hurt her, and we all know Dekker wants Terran. Bringing Terran here will be too much of a risk. Asking James to take Terran up to the farm would mean putting Terran with Serena's parents."

"Making all three of them an easy target for Dayu," Jayden nodded. "But what else can we do? I mean, James improved a lot when he was here, but he's no Samurai. If he comes face to face with Dekker or Dayu, he's dead. Bye, bye, James. Bye, bye, Terran."

"My mother and grandmother kept Terry safe while he was doing a few gigs in the city," Mia said. "If they can take my dad's son in and treat him like family, they'll gladly take Terran in. That's already two Samurai looking out for him."

"Your grandmother?" Antonio asked. Mia nodded her head.

"She's getting old, but she stills scares me and my mom straight, and she swears she will until she dies. Dekker and Dayu won't know what they're in for."

"Two former Samurai is good," Kevin nodded, "but will it be enough? Dayu and Dekker outmatch us all the time, and we're in our prime. Your mother and grandmother… are well… older."

"You can say no, but I was thinking of asking your fathers to help too," Mia looked to Kevin and then to Mike, "They're both former Samurai too. That'll make four Samurai looking after Terran."

"Do you think that's enough?" Mike asked.

"Enough to hold Dekker and Dayu off until we show up," Mia nodded her head. "All seven of us, on top of the previous generations would make eleven. If we warn Serena and Emily's parents too, I'm sure they'll stick close enough to help if needed, but they'll still stay in hiding so Dayu isn't drawn to them."

"Ellie would show up for sure if Dayu and Dekker target Terran," Mike said. "Hell, Jack will even show up. He's not a Samurai but he's pretty freaking scary."

"So thirteen Samurai in total," Jayden said. "By keeping all of Dayu's targets separate, she can only choose to go after one."

"And if she's sticking with Dekker, she'll keep her sights on Terran," Antonio added, "which means we can assemble an army against the two of them."

"They'll never mess with Terran again," Mia smirked just as the door to the dojo opened and Emily stepped in.

"Serena finally got James on the phone. She's just telling him about the safe house now. Have you got it figured out?"

"You explain it to them," Mia said to Jayden, "We've got our own phone calls to make."


	3. Serena's Paranoia

Hearing Jayden sharing Mia's plan made Serena feel a bit better. Unless she wanted to reveal the true location of her son and really put him in danger, she couldn't go and protect him, and none of the others could go near him either. Having as many former Samurai as possible around Terran was the next best thing.

But that didn't stop the horrible feelings from bubbling deep inside her. Something was going to happen. Dekker wasn't a quitter. He had searched centuries for an ultimate duel, living our generations and generations of powerful warriors just so he could find the right one. If he wanted Terran, nothing would stop him from getting him, and if something strong enough did, Dekker still would do something; something that would upset her just as much as she had upset him.

"Serena," she heard Emily whine and realized she was hugging her a little too tightly. She let go and breathed out a sigh, trying to calm herself. Of course, it didn't work. Emily looked to her sympathetically, "I'll follow your rules. I'll be safe. You know I will."

"Sorry, Emy."

"Besides," Emily wrapped her arms around Serena again, "I'll be happier if something happened to me and not Terran."

"Nothing's going to happen to anyone," Jayden promised just as Mia, Kevin, and Mike came back from the common room, all with smiles on their faces.

"Our parents are headed over to the Watanabe's as we speak," Kevin said, "They're happy to help out."

"And you explained everything?" Serena wanted to make sure the former generation knew what they were up against. She would do anything for her son, but she would blame herself forever if someone died or was seriously hurt because of this. It was her mistake and no one needed to pay but her.

Especially not Terran."

"Everything," Mike said. "Personally, I think everyone just wants to play with the new Samurai baby."

"And they probably want to grill James," Mia chuckled and looked to Serena, "My mother does, at least. Our parents have adopted us all, apparently. Anyone who wants to come into the Samurai's life will have to go through her."

"Good luck James," Kevin muttered and then was nudged in the ribs by Mia. He smiled at her, "Your mother is a wonderful lady."

"Actually, it's my grandmother you need to worry about," Mia smirked. "You haven't met her yet."

"Is she scary?"

"I got a mark on a paper below what she thought I deserved, and she scared my teacher so bad he gave me an A+ just to get her to leave the school. At my school, they didn't just hand out As to anybody. You had to really earn them."

"Ha-ha," Mike laughed, "Your girlfriend's family is super protective."

"Um, Mike," Emily looked to him strangely, "Do you have another girlfriend I don't know about?"

Mike shook his head, "No, but your family is warming up to me, right?"

"Storm isn't even warming up to you," Serena gave Mike a hateful glare, just to tease him. "What makes you think you're anywhere near my good side? Or my parents?"

"Or ours?" Kevin laughed, giving Mike a playful nudge. "Man, if I'm screwed, you're already dead."

Mike pouted, "At least I won't get my ass kicked by an old woman."

"Point," Kevin nodded. Mia shot him a look, "Uh, a very attractive older woman, I'm sure?" Mia's look didn't change. Kevin gulped, "Not that I'm attracted to older women. They kind of give me the creeps with the wrinkly skin and the gray hair and…" Mia's look still didn't change, but she crossed her arms over her chest. "I mean, when you get old and wrinkly and… uh… you're so pretty."

"Never mind," Mike smirked, giving Kevin a pat on the back, "You still win. At this rate, you won't get your ass kicked by grandma. Your fiancée will do that herself."

"Back to Terran," Jayden turned the attention away from Kevin before the blue Ranger dug himself even deeper, "He'll be safe and sound with the previous generation. We can focus on Dayu and Dekker. We'll keep an eye on where they are at all times so they'll never get near him."

"Or mom and dad, right?" Emily asked. Jayden nodded his head.

"Absolutely."

"Then I'm going to bed," Emily got up and pulled away from Serena, "Goodnight, guys."

"Goodnight," everyone answered except for Serena. Emily knew what that meant. With a loud, tired sigh she turned around and looked at her sister, "What?"

"Can you sleep in my room tonight?"

Emily groaned, "But I have my own bed, and I have a bodyguard there too! Mike won't let anything happen to me."

"I'll feel better," Serena said, "I can't protect Terran, I can't protect mom and dad. At least I'll know you're safe."

"Serena, please," Emily begged, "The Shiba House is the safest place to be. Nothing's going to happen without you knowing about it."

"But…"

"No," Emily shook her head, surprising everyone including herself. She knew Serena was scared, but she was already keeping her trapped in the house. She wanted some measure of freedom, even if it was just sleeping in her own bed with her fiancé. "I'll be fine, Serena, I promise. And, until this whole thing is over with, my bedroom is off limits to everyone but me and Mike. If you insist on babysitting me all day, I insist on one place where I can get some privacy."

"Emily…"

"It's safe, Serena. I wouldn't do it if it wasn't. And these guys would have spoken up by now if they didn't believe that too."

"Goodnight, Emily," Jayden said.

Emily nodded and headed off for her room. Mike got up and followed her. He was also tired, but he didn't want Serena freaking out. Him sticking with Emily would calm her down a little.

"M-Mike's a heavy sleeper…"

"It's fine, Serena," Mia promised. She too got up to head for bed, "Kevin and I are on the other side of the wall."

"And Antonio and I will take first watch of the map," Jayden said. "Ji, as always, is in his room. He'll know if there's something wrong with any of us."

"We'll all know," Kevin nodded. He squeezed Serena's shoulder gently, "Goodnight."

Serena gulped as she watched Kevin and Mia head off to bed, and Jayden and Antonio told her she should get some rest. She got up and walked to her bedroom, but she didn't get ready to go to bed. Instead, she grabbed her pillow and her blanket, the Shiba House phone, and her Samuraizer and she dragged it all out into the hallway outside Mike and Emily's room. She set up a bed for herself in front of the door and put both the Samuraizer and the phone down by her pillow. If either rang, she would hear it. If Dayu and Dekker turned up anywhere in the city, she would hear the Samuraizer beep. If someone came for her sister, she would know about it.

"Should we tell her to go to her room?" Antonio asked from the common room after seeing Serena walk by with all her stuff. Jayden shook his head.

"She's doing all she can," he said, "Asking her to do any less would be like telling you, you can never go fishing again. You know it's not going to happen."

"She's being paranoid. The Shiba House is safe."

"Is it really paranoia?" Jayden asked. Antonio shrugged his shoulders and then looked down at the map.

"Right now it is. There's no sign of anything anywhere."

"Leave her alone," Jayden sighed.


	4. The Deceit

Dayu watched the Shiba House through a portal from the Netherworld. Now, until the Rangers decided it was time to do something stupid, this was all she could do. The shield around their home was so powerful that there was no getting in. She needed to wait for the Rangers to come out, and if she was lucky, they would bring Terran.

She took her eyes off the portal for a minute to look at Dekker. He had brought wood back from the human world and was making a crib for his son to sleep in. Despite his evil exterior, Dekker had always had a soft heart. She remembered that was the reason she had fallen in love with him. He was rough around the edge and didn't let anyone push him around, but he had a big heart. Deep down, very deep down now that Urumasa was in control, he was a very soft man – harmless even, unless provoked. Given the chance, Dekker would make an excellent father.

Dekker wouldn't speak with her much, though. She told him the truth, but it was a case of too little too late. She had hidden his son from him as well, and she was sure he would never forgive her for that. However, because she had agreed to help him, Dekker agreed he would work with her, and if they succeeded at taking Terran, he offered to let her help, understanding the importance of a child needing a mother.

Dayu was filled with excitement. While it was far from ideal, if the plan worked out like she hoped, she would finally be able to settle down and start a family with the love of her life. She had waited centuries for this and nothing would screw things up for her.

"One mistake, Serena," Dayu whispered, looking back to the portal, "All I need is one mistake from you."

-Samurai-

Serena woke up in the hallway, exactly where she had fallen asleep and she checked both the phone and her Samuraizer for missed messages. Fortunately, nothing had happened overnight. However, she saw the time and realized she had slept in very late, which wasn't a surprise, considering how hard it had been for her to fall asleep.

She threw the blankets aside and jumped to her feet. Remember her sister's rule, she didn't rush into the bedroom, but she did knock, hoping there was an answer. After a few moments of waiting Serena hurried to the kitchen, the common room, the dojo, and then outside. Emily was nowhere.

No one was anywhere.

"Guys?"

"What?"

She jumped and turned around, seeing the whole team behind her, "What the hell?"

Mike laughed, "You've got to wait more than a couple of seconds after knocking on doors."

"I waited a few minutes."

"It probably only felt like a few minutes to you," Emily smiled. "Serena, you've got to calm down. If this keeps up, you're going to be the one getting yourself into trouble."

"Dekker's after my son," Serena growled. "How can I calm down?"

"Would it help if I told you my mom called to say everyone arrived safe and sound, and Terran's happy with his extended family?" Mia asked.

"No," Serena frowned. She slumped down into the seat in the hallway, "What if…"

"Dayu and Dekker still think Terran's here," Kevin promised. "They've been watching the Shiba House through a portal right outside the gate."

"How do you know that?"

"Map," Kevin pointed to the common room, "They won't come through it, though."

"Why don't we train?" Jayden suggested. "We can all take our minds off Dekker and Terran for a moment."

The others agreed and headed for the dojo. Normally, because the weather was so nice, they trained outside, but knowing they were being watched was enough to convince them to stay indoors. Though Dayu and Dekker were watching for Terran, they wouldn't pass up the opportunity to watch the Samurai practice and learn their styles. They were Nighlok. They would cheat, lie, and steal as long as it benefit them. Watching their opponents train was a huge advantage.

Knowing Serena was stressed out, and knowing she hit much harder when she was stressed, no one volunteered to be her partner. As she filled up seven water bottles in the kitchen for the Samurai, they all tried to discuss the best set up for partners.

Mike opted out of training anywhere near Serena, insisting this was the little push she needed to murder him and plead insanity to get away with it.

Kevin said that if Serena was going to pound on anyone, it was best it not be him. He was the best swordsman with the exception of Jayden, and if a duel with Dekker and Dayu was looming, the team needed to be at their best, and they needed their best.

Jayden dittoed Kevin's excuse. He normally wouldn't ask his team to do anything he wouldn't do, but this was an exception.

Antonio claimed he wasn't close enough to Serena's level to match her, and she would kick his butt before long, meaning she would have to choose another partner after beating him into the ground. For the team's sake, it was best it wasn't him.

"Cowards," Mia muttered.

"You face her then," Mike stuck his tongue out. Mia shook her head.

"I'll administer first aid. You can't whack out the nurse."

"So you guys want me to face her?" Emily shook her head, "Nahuh. No way. She loves Terran a lot more than she loves me. She might not beat me into the ground, but I won't come out of this unharmed. Jayden should do it. He's leader and he couldn't even come up with his own excuse not to."

"Jayden, Jayden, Jayden," the team chanted and Jayden groaned loudly. Sometimes, it really sucked being the red guy.

"Fine…"

-Samurai-

Dayu was growing tired of waiting, and from the looks of it, so was Dekker. The Rangers had their moments of stupidity, but this wasn't one of them. They weren't going to slip up with Terran on the line, so she was going to have to come up with a plan to draw them all out so she and Dekker could get in.

"What if we force them to lower the shields?" Dayu asked, turning to Dekker. He looked up from his work on the crib and shrugged.

"If you have a plan, I'm listening."

-Samurai-

Jayden and Serena were giving it all they had. The Rangers had left the dojo to seek shelter as sand and fire whipped around everywhere, leaving shards of glass on the floor, and sometimes sending them as projectiles through the air.

"We should have thought this through a little more," Mia muttered.

"Yeah. At least water and dirt would have just made mud," Mike slowly poked his head out from behind the couch and ducked instantly, seconds before five pointed shards of glass soared over his head and wedged themselves into the wall behind him. He gulped.

Kevin gave him a look, "And who says I was second in line to face her?"

"Not it!" the others, even Mia, all cried out. Kevin groaned and shook his head.

"I hate each and every one of you."

"Jayden will tire her out, don't worry," Mia promised, taking Kevin's hand. "But… just in case he doesn't. I love you."

Finally the chaos from the other room stopped. Sand and fire no longer threatened to take the house down, and the clashing of swords couldn't be heard anymore. Very carefully, Emily poked her head up and investigated.

"It's over."

"Thank God!" Mike cried out. "That was intense, guys!"

He looked over to the dojo and saw both white and red were on their knees, panting, trying to catch their breath. He walked over to Serena and helped her up, while Kevin and Antonio did the same for Jayden.

"Feel better?" Mike asked Serena. She shook her head.

"What about Terran?"

"Serena," Mike sighed, "when my dad was here fighting the Nighlok, mom took out for a day and we got caught up by Moogers. Before dad and the other Rangers could show up, mom already kicked eight of their asses and got both of us to safety. If my mom can do that by herself, imagine what all our parents can do together?"

"He's safe, Serena," Emily promised again.

Serena refused to believe it and shook her head, "He won't be until…"

Finally, it was the moment she had been waiting for. The Gap Sensor blared loudly and a quick look at the map showed her that it was Dekker and Dayu waiting for her outside. Without a second thought she raced out, with the team behind her. As she reached the end of the yard, Mike and Kevin grabbed her, stopping her before she could pass the shields and throw herself into danger.

"You're never getting him!" Serena screamed, struggling to get away from Mike and Kevin.

"Let us kill you, and we'll leave him alone," Dayu promised Serena. "Dekker and I will agree to compromise. The Samurai can keep the screaming baby if we end you."

"Terran's safe inside," Jayden told Serena, "You'll give them what you want. It's a trap."

"You can only keep him safe if you're alive," Antonio added.

Emily clenched her fists. Mike noticed but he wasn't about to let go of Serena, afraid she would be strong enough to pull away from Kevin and stupidly run off. Instead he gestured to Emily when he knew Mia was looking his way. Mia saw what he saw and put her arm on Emily's shoulder.

"Terran's safe, Serena's safe, we're all safe in here," Mia reminded Emily. "Don't let them win."

"Or," Dekker started, looking Serena right in the eye, "We raise the stakes. I'll stay here while Dayu brings out a Nighlok from the Netherworld. Which is more important, Serena? The world or my son…"

"He's my son!" Serena screamed.

Dekker turned to Dayu and nodded his head, giving her the signal to go. With a wicked smirk, Dayu disappeared into the Gap. Her next destination: City Square.

-Samurai-

"I can't believe how big he is," Noa said as she lifted Terran into the high chair for his feeding. After getting a call from Mia, she, her other teammates, and their wives drove down to her mother's, where they would meet up with James and Terran. After Terran was threatened by Dekker and Dayu, he needed all the protection he could get while the Samurai made sure the Nighlok believed he was still at the Shiba House. The only way to accomplish that was for the previous Samurai to get together.

But not all of them could be here. When Mia called she had explained to her mother how she was worried Dayu and Dekker wouldn't stop at Terran, especially if they couldn't get to him. Serena had hurt Dekker badly and had done everything she could to piss Dayu off. One way or another, Serena was going to lose someone she loved, whether her son, her sister, or her parents. Keeping Ellie, Jack, Terran, and Emily as far away from each other as possible meant Dayu could only choose one to go after.

Dekker had his heart set on Terran. He wasn't much of a problem beyond that.

David nodded his head. He took out a container of food from the fridge and opened it. He remembered feeding Mike like this back in the day, and had to admit being somewhat excited to do it all over again, even if it was only temporary. Having a baby back in the house was proving to be a lot of fun.

"They grow so quickly. Seems like only yesterday we found out there was another Samurai to-be."

Outside the house, in the backyard so he wasn't seen, James was being put to work. While the previous Samurai had been happy with just letting him be a father to Terran, Mia's grandmother, Mako, had other ideas. According to her, if James was going to have sole responsibility for the current future yellow Ranger, he needed to know how to care for him, how to protect him, and how to train him. When she had been pink Ranger, her war with Xandred had lasted five years. If it was the same for Mia and her team, James would have Terran until he was four. With Xandred growing stronger (Mako watched the news. She saw his arrival on earth), Terran was going to need to learn to fight starting at a young age. Though he wasn't her grandson, the entire Samurai clan: red, blue, green, yellow, pink, and now gold, was her family, and she didn't want anyone hurting her family.

It hurt enough sending two daughters off against Xandred.

"And if you get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Mako whacked James hard with her wooden sword. "You knowingly took a Samurai heir in as your son. It is your duty to care for and protect him with your life. It is also up to you to ensure he keeps up with his training. How to you expect him to be great, if you're weak?"

She pointed to the ground, "Let's see if you can move the earth. C'mon, Coach, we don't have all day."

James groaned. This was worse than boot camp. If this was the same kind of training Mia went through, he had a lot more respect for her.

And it was no wonder she was one of the best Samurai.

"Those noodle arms could barely lift a tea cup," Mako shook her head. As James did his push-ups, he looked at his arms. They weren't skinny in the least. He had been training all his life. Exercise had always been important to him.

Mako caught him checking himself out and whacked him again, "I don't feel the Earth moving!"

Inside, Noa was letting David feed Terran while she glanced out the window and chuckled. Her mother had always taken training seriously.

"Maybe I should have warned James when he came in."

David looked up and shook his head, "Naw. All our parents were tough on us, and we were tough on the kids. James had it coming. Anyways, it's fun to watch."

-Samurai-

Their Samuraizers ran loudly but the Rangers were frozen. Dayu had called a Nighlok to terrorize the city, forcing them to come out of hiding, but they knew the moment they did Dekker would attack them. They had no idea what to do.

"Decisions, decisions, decisions," Dekker had taken a seat and was looking to Urumasa, waiting for the Rangers to make their choice. "It's a pity countless people need to die just so you can keep my son from me, Serena."

"Jay?" Mike turned to his leader. "Any plans?"

"We've got to fight," Jayden nodded and hated himself for it long before he saw Serena's glare. "We're Samurai Rangers. Our duty is to protect the world. Terran may mean the world to us, but he is not the world."

"Then Ji's alone inside with Terran," Serena growled, trying to keep up the lie that Terran was inside the Shiba House and not Mia's grandmother's home."

"Dekker can't get through anyways," Kevin said, agreeing with Jayden. "Mike, Antonio, and I can stay here and keep Dekker distracted. Jay, you and the girls go stop Dayu and the Nighlok."

"We have to, Serena," Emily took her sister's hand, "You know we do. Terran will be fine."

"Three against one?" Dekker got to his feet, "I can use a warm up. Don't go far, Serena. I may need your help getting through the shield."

Serena growled, but a tug on her arm told her it was time to run. All together, the Samurai hurried out of the yard. She ran out, as fast as she could. The faster she won the battle, the faster she could come back and guard the house.

Then she heard them: six short cries of pain. As she turned around, hoping she was just hearing things, a portal opened up behind her.

Dayu knew the Rangers were keeping track of her. Their Gap Sensors picked up on her energy every time she stepped foot on Earth and alerted them. Simply traveling from one Gap to another triggered a new alert for the Rangers, making them believe there was a Nighlok in the city.

Which there was. The Rangers just didn't know it was Dayu.

When Serena turned around to check up on her friends, Dayu grabbed her, holding her tight. Serena barely felt her grip though as she saw all six of her friends on the floor motionless. They barely even looked like they were breathing. Serena struggled, but with Dayu's hold tight, it was in vain.

Dekker gripped his sword tightly and eyed each of the Rangers, as though he was trying to make a decision on which to take it first. Serena already knew the choice he was going to make.

His eyes fell on Emily and they lingered there for a moment. Then he looked up.

"Lower the shields," he growled, "Let me have my son, or choose option number two."

"Which is?" Serena asked, fully aware she was playing with fire. Nothing was stopping Dekker from killing all six Rangers.

"I take this one," Dekker pointed to Emily, "and do with her as I please."

"Touch her and…"

"I'm being very fair, Serena," Dekker looked her in the eyes, "It is your choice who you keep. Choose the favourite for all I care. As it stands now, I just want to hurt you like you hurt me. I want to take something you love."

"You couldn't possibly love Terran!"

"HE IS MY SON!" Dekker shouted and held Urumasa threatening over Emily, "Make your decision quick, or I'll take them all one by…"

"Let me go," Serena growled, glancing over her shoulder at Dayu.

"Tell Dekker your choice…"

"I'll need to trace a symbol to lower the shields. It's complicated, though. Don't go until I say so."

"You're giving us your son?" Dayu asked, a little surprised. It was what she and Dekker wanted, but she thought she would have to fight a little more, and many spill some blood. Now Serena was handing him over.

"Dekker obviously wants to be a dad," Serena grumbled. "Terran's safer in your hands than Emily ever would be. Don't think I won't try to get him back, though."

"Let her go, Dayu."

"But…"

"Let her go," Dekker insisted and reluctantly, Dayu released Serena.

Serena pulled her Samuraizer out of her pocket and traced the first symbol. It hit the house and it looked like nothing happened. Dekker turned to Serena.

"You better not be fooling me."

"Jayden installed this, okay," Serena muttered. "I'm good, but he's still a notch better than me. This will take a few symbols to work."

She traced another one only to get the same results as the first time. Finally, third try was the charm. The symbols surrounding the house appeared and then faded away. Serena nodded her head.

"He's in the house," she said. Dekker raced in. Dayu pushed Serena aside and followed him.

Serena breathed loudly, hoping her plan would work. She was tired, but she needed to make one more symbol. This one was large, covering the space over each of the six Rangers and herself.

The ground swallowed them all up just as a frustrated and very loud cry could be heard from the Shiba House.

"She tricked me!"


	5. The Hunt Begins

When the training lesson was finally over, there was not one muscle in James' body that he couldn't feel. He stumbled into the house and fell into the couch. As he lay there, he felt something cool fall onto his lap. He looked up and saw Patrick had dumped a couple packs of ice.

"You're going to need these," he chuckled. James nodded his head and put the ice where he hurt most.

Mako came in next with a big smile on her face, "You did well, Coach. Maybe next time I won't go so easy on you."

James' eyes widened while the other Samurai laughed. They knew Mako was only kidding, but it was fun teasing the newest member of their Samurai clan.

"Mom, he's been through enough," Noa said with a shake of her head as she tried to supress the giggles, "He's useless if you burn him out."

"I'll get you some tea," Patrick's wife chuckled as she walked back to the kitchen. James was thankful for the help. For the next few years – it felt like – he wouldn't be able to move.

"I don't know how you guys do it all the time," James said. David's wife walked into the living room with another bag of ice, assuming that James needed it. Her assumptions had been correct. James practically snatched the bag from her hands and he put it on his arm. "I thought football was tough."

"You get used to it," David gave James a pat on the back, forgetting for a moment how much pain he was in, only to be reminded when James let out a few choice words that made Mako slap him in the back of the head.

"There will be none of that in my house, and none of that in front of the child."

James groaned. He was too sore to rub his head, but it hurt too, "Yes, mam."

"Good, now put the poor boy to bed. He's so tired he doesn't know what to do with himself," she gestured to the mat which the Samurai had set up in the living room for Terran to play on with all his toys. James looked pleadingly to the others, hoping someone would take Terran off his hands while he lay still for a century, but none of the Samurai were willing to help.

"Do you think we sacrificed raising our kids to be Samurai," Patrick smirked, "C'mon, boy, you have two jobs now. We can't have you slacking off in either."

"You all suck."

"Boys," David's wife shook her head and sighed, "Give the poor guy a break. He's new to being a father and a Samurai."

"All the more reason to kick his ass into shape faster," David smirked. It slipped right off his face though when he saw the look his wife was giving him. He scooped Terran up, and started for the stairs, where a crib had been set up for him to sleep, "But, I guess one night off won't kill anyone."

James dropped his head back and groaned, "I will not survive this."

"No," Noa shook her head and laughed, "You won't. But if it's any consolation, Terran will."

"Your mother's tough."

"I used to think that too," Noa took a seat beside James and helped him place the ice pack on his shoulder so it would stay, "She trained me day and night like it was nobody's business. At times, I wanted to quit. Then I had Mia and realized what my mother was trying to do. Her battle with the Nighlok was long over and she knew she had no choice but to send me into battle. It's terrifying. Then I faced Xandred and it really hit me. She's doing this because she cares. It may look and feel like she's trying to kill you, but if you ever find yourself face to face with anything from the Netherworld; you're going to thank her. After all, you don't want Terran going through this, do you?"

James shook his head, "No offense, but this is the worst life I could imagine for him. Normal may be boring, but at least he'll be safe."

"And he's counting on you for that," Noa said. "Right now, you can still do something to give him a better future. You're his father; it's your responsibility to destroy the monsters for him – literally."

Noa reached out and knocked on the wooden coffee table, "And, God-forbid this generation can't do it, it's yours and Serena's responsibility to train him so he'll survive and, if all works out, win. You can't train him if you can barely hold a sword right. If he's anything like Serena, he'll be taking you down by the time he's six."

"If he's anything like Dekker, he'll be four when he starts wiping the floor with me."

Noa gave James a very gentle squeeze on the shoulder, "You're a father now, James. You have responsibilities. Live up to them, or leave now."

"We'll train after breakfast, right?" James asked. Noa gave him a smile.

"After lunch. We'll give your muscles some time to relax."

-Samurai-

Serena knew she had pulled it off, but it had come at a price.

The Samurai were important to her. She would do anything for them and they all knew it. However, nothing was more important to her than her son. If she was forced to choose, she would choose Terran every time.

Fortunately, though it seemed like she had sacrificed her son, that wasn't the case. Terran wasn't in danger yet, but the Samurai had been. Letting Dekker and Dayu search the house meant they would know Terran was elsewhere, but they didn't know where he was and they didn't know he had an army surrounding him, ready to defend him at all hours.

Terran still had a chance. The Rangers didn't. She didn't regret choosing them.

As she lay on the ground, catching her breath and trying not to pass out, Ji was running around checking up on the Rangers. The two first symbols Serena had cast before lowering the shields had done nothing to let Dekker and Dayu in. The first one had been to create a cave under the Shiba House, and the second had been to sink Ji into the cave, so Dayu and Dekker wouldn't hurt him when they stormed in. Then Serena lowered then shields, which had taken a lot of power, and then she lowered herself and the Rangers underground with Ji so they would be safe.

Serena wasn't quite sure what Dekker had done, but she knew two things: the Rangers were alive, and they didn't look it.

"Ji…"

"Nighlok don't have symbol power," Ji said, "but they have been known to use something similar. The Rangers are paralyzed."

"But they can breathe, right?"

"That is all they can do," Ji nodded.

Serena propped herself up and looked at Ji, "Why haven't the Nighlok done this to us before, then? They've been out long enough to be killed. It would be an easy win…"

"No common Nighlok can do this," Ji shook his head. "The ones you face likely don't even know such a power exists."

"Let me guess, Dayu and Dekker…"

"Given his memory, if Dekker did once know it, I doubt he would now."

"So Dayu… but she wasn't even around. She only turned up after…"

"Aha," Ji said, peeling what looked to be a piece of paper from Jayden's arm, "Octoroo has been known to use tricks like these."

Serena took the paper and examined it as Jayden started to stir.

"No doubt Dayu stole these," Serena muttered, crumbling the paper up and tossing it away. "But my first question still stands. Why not use these against us. The war would have been one…"

"Kings are usually not elected," Ji stated. "Perhaps Octoroo merely serves Xandred out of fear."

"You're saying Octoroo wants us to win?"

"Anyone but Xandred."

Serena bit her lip while Ji peeled a paper similar to Jayden's off Kevin's neck and the blue Ranger started to stir. Serena made the connection and started to help by peeling the paper off Emily's leg, and then Mike's shoulder. Ji finished with Antonio and then Mia.

The Rangers all slowly sat up and stretched themselves out. Mike was poking himself all over, trying to get used to the feel of his own body again.

"I don't know how you did it, Serena," he said, "but mad props to you learning to walk again."

"Are you guys okay?" she asked. They all nodded.

"He didn't hurt us," Antonio assured her, "but we know he tried."

"You did the right thing," Kevin said.

"Now I just have to worry about my psycho ex tracking down my son," Serena put her head in her hands. Emily wrapped her arms around her sister.

"Dekker's not going to get Terran. I promise."

"And Emily can't lie," Mia smiled. "Terran's safe, and if you give us a few minutes we can all go after Dekker and Dayu. They'll never figure out where he is. We'll stop them before they get too far."

"We should call our parents though," Mike got out his Samuraizer, "Just to let them know they need to be ready… uh, why am I not getting any signal at all?"

"We're underground," Ji explained.

Mike looked around, "What? You mean there's no way out unless…"

"What's wrong, Mike?" Jayden teased, moving in a little closer to the green Ranger, "Scared?"

Mike shook his head, but Jayden could hear his gulping. He got even closer, "I think it's kind of cosy. We're all here, squished together, hoping Serena's got enough symbol power left over to bring up back to the open air."

"I could…"

"Shh," Antonio covered Emily's mouth, "This is funny."

"Tease Mike later," Serena growled. "Once Terran is safe again. Are you guys ready?"

Jayden nodded his head and jumped to his feet. The others followed his lead. As Serena started with the symbol, Jayden leaned over and whispered to the green Ranger, "I'm so getting you back for the Spider-Mike thing."

"Dude, I almost mutated into a spider from the Netherworld. I thought that was my punishment."

"If the tables were turned, you would do the same thing. In fact, you have."

"Yeah, but…"

"Guys!" Serena called, "Unless you want me to bury you under here, we're waiting for you to get a little closer."

Mike jumped into Serena's arms, hugging her tight. Serena groaned in protest, but used her symbol to bring them all up.

When they were on the surface, Mike showered her cheek with kisses, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," he repeated over and over again until Serena pushed him away and wiped her cheek.

"Gross."

"You guys see if you can track Dekker and Dayu on the Samuraizers. If they're in town, we'll find them," Mia said to Jayden, Antonio, Serena, and Emily. Then she looked to Mike and Kevin, "We need to call our parents and let them know Dekker's on the hunt."


	6. Custody Battle

The first place Dayu knew to check for Terran was Serena's lover's house. She had seen Serena leave his home several times and she could remember where to find it.

Appearing from the Gap, she and Dekker set upon the entire neighbourhood in a rage. One way or another they were going to get Terran. Dekker rammed his shoulder into the door, bringing it down with a single hit while neighbours all around fled from their homes. If the Nighlok were invading, they weren't safe. As Dekker searched the house, Dayu stayed guard in the front hallway. The Rangers would be coming, it was only a matter of time. Holding her Shamisen close, she waited.

"He was here," Dekker came back, clutching a stuffed toy by the neck.

"Knowing Serena, she warned her lover we were coming," Dayu knocked over the table and bowl that sat by the door. It wasn't the first thing in the house to be broken. If James ever did come home, he would have a lot to clean up. Dekker had shown no care as he tore through every room of the house.

"Where is my son, Dayu?"

"Patience, Dekker," Dayu told him. "The Rangers are smarter than we thought, but the boy has to be somewhere on earth. We'll find him."

Dekker didn't seem too happy with that answer. He was usually a patient man, but this time he wanted results fast. She threw the stuffed toy into the wall.

"Where do the other Samurai live?" Dekker growled. "Dayu…"

"I don't know," Dayu shook her head, "The Samurai rarely make contact with their family for this very reason. They could be anywhere in the city…"

Dayu trailed off as she saw papers on the floor. Kneeling down, she picked them up, "You wouldn't happen to know what a Google is, do you?"

Dekker growled, "Stop this, Dayu. We need to…"

"Seems our friend the Googles sent Terran on a trip across town," Dayu held up the papers, "This is a list of directions."

Dekker ripped the papers from her hand, "Stop wasting time…"

"Dekker!" Dayu cried and she hurried to catch the papers before they hit the ground, "We have nowhere else to search, we might as well try this."

"Do you know where it leads?" Dekker asked impatiently. Dayu looked at the final direction and nodded her head.

"I've walked this street before."

Dekker growled, "Then why aren't we there yet?"

Dayu rolled her eyes as another portal opened, "No need to get snippy."

Dekker pushed her into the portal and then followed. He hoped she was right.

-Samurai-

"Guys! Stop!" Kevin cried out as he skidded to a halt and looked at his Samuraizer again, "It's gone."

Dayu and Dekker's signal had appeared on their Samuraizers, indicating the monster duo were somewhere in James' neighbourhood. The Samurai had hurried to meet up with them, hoping to defeat them there but they had taken too long. Dekker and Dayu were gone, and it was anyone's guess where they would appear next.

Serena stopped and turned around to look at Kevin. He had no idea just how badly she wanted to hurt him just for being the messenger.

"Then where the hell are they?"

"Give it a few minutes…"

"A few minutes and they could be gone with Terran!" Serena shrieked. Emily grabbed her arm, hoping to calm her sister down, but Serena pushed her away and turned to Jayden, "Give it to me."

"What?"

"The Black Box."

"Serena…"

"I'm not waiting to get my ass kicked before I use it!" Serena screamed, "Hand it over or I'm going to show you what red really looks like."

"Just give it to her, Jay," Antonio sighed. Jayden took the Box off his belt and passed it over to Serena. She gave him a condescending pat on the helmet and then transformed into the white Super Samurai.

"Their signal is back," Kevin announced, "They're…"

"Fuck," Mia snapped her Samuraizer shut and looked to Serena, "They're in my grandmother's neighbourhood."

"Which is where?"

"Follow me," Mia said, taking the lead this time. She had no idea how Dekker and Dayu had found out, if they even knew where they were going, but she was going to get there before anything happened.

-Samurai-

After getting a call from the Samurai to let them know Dekker and Dayu were on the hunt for Terran, the previous generations refused to go to bed. When a Nighlok was on a mission, nothing would stop them, and a feeling in the previous team's gut told them they needed to be ready sooner rather than later.

James was also wide awake, trying to sooth Terran who was in his arms instead of in his cribs. The poor boy was so tired and he couldn't understand why he wasn't allowed to lay in his bed and fall asleep.

"Give him to me, you're stressing him out," Patrick's wife insisted as she took Terran from James' arms and calmly started to rock him. It was no comfy crib, but Terran started to settle.

"If they get close," Patrick looked to his wife, "you know what to do?"

She, David's wife, and James all nodded their heads. They didn't have as much experience fighting Nighlok and weren't going to be in the front lines if Dekker and Dayu did find them, but they did have a role to play. They were the very last line of defence, at least until the other Samurai showed up.

"There are weapons concealed in every room of the house," Mako said. James' jaw dropped.

"You said the house was baby proof!"

"I said concealed."

"Nothing's concealed to a baby!"

"I've raised two children in this house and there have been no serious injuries…"

"Mom, James, you can argue parenting styles later," Noa shook her head. She had been keeping watch on the yard for suspicious activity and was just noticing what appeared to be a young couple standing at the end of her mother's driveway. They seemed harmless enough, but at this point, Noa knew it was best not to assume, "We've got company."

David poked his head over her shoulder, taking a peek outside, "She's coming to the door."

"It's too late for visitors," Patrick checked the clock, "Dekker does have a human form. Maybe Dayu does too."

"In all the years we've known Dayu…"

"The Rangers have come face to face with a lot," Patrick said, "More than any of us. Do not assume these people are safe. We cannot afford it."

The doorbell rang and Mako went to answer it, stopped only when Noa grabbed her arm and gestured for her to sit and wait in the living room. Though Mako was the mother, Noa was fiercely protective. The former pink Ranger was still strong in her old age, but she had her limits. Being the first to face what was possibly an assault was not within them.

David's wife gestured for Patrick's wife and James to follow her. They took Terran with them and started their climb up the stairs. The attic, they hoped, would be the safest hiding place as long as they kept Terran calm. Mako had also hinted, earlier in the day, that a lot of her old training equipment had been stashed away up there.

When they were gone, and there was a second knock on the door, Noa went to answer it.

"Do you have any idea what time it…?"

Dayu and Dekker weren't messing around, and they had no reason too. They didn't care who they hurt –whether it was an innocent civilian or one of the Samurai's friends – all they cared about was finding Terran. Noa was grabbed and she felt the edge of a blade touch her neck. Any movement at all on her part would end her life. Dekker and Dayu, who had blended into the neighbourhood by turning into their human forms (a power Serrator had returned to Dayu when he thought she had killed Serena), were full Nighlok and smirked when a few other people came out of different rooms of the house. Dayu recognized them immediately. She had fought against all of them in the past.

"Well, well. It's been way too long, hasn't it?"

"This is the place?" Dekker asked as he held on tightly to Noa. Dayu nodded her head.

"This is a very good place to start."

"Let my daughter go," Mako growled fiercely as she pulled out a small blade seemingly from behind her back. If James had been here, she knew he would have something to say about that.

Dayu looked to Noa and then to Mako, "I've never fought a family of pinks before. Maybe when the pink Ranger shows up…"

Noa, despite her predicament, started to struggle at the mention of Mia. Mako had a look in her eye that would kill, but wouldn't risk sudden movements while the Nighlok had a hold of her daughter.

"It'll be fun," Dayu smirked, "ending three generations of pesky pink Rangers all in one night."

"Mrs. Watanabe," David called, "where are those concealed weapons you were talking about?"

"Not yet," Mako shook her head. She glared at Dekker and Dayu, "What do you want?"

"The baby."

"What baby?"

"The baby we know you're hiding here."

"There is no…"

"Where is my son?" Dekker growled and pressed Urumasa against Noa's throat just enough to draw a bit of blood. He noticed Mako tensed up and smirked. She seemed to be in charge and if he could get her to lose control, he would be one step closer to finding his son. "I am losing my patience."

"Mrs. Watanabe…"

Dekker smirked. He could tell they had no idea what to do. Then he saw a faint smile on Mako's face and he had to wonder what the cause was. Then he heard a loud cry, one he recognized. Letting go of Noa, he turned around and held up his sword in time to stop Serena's from slicing him in half.

While the others kept Dayu and Dekker distracted, Mia hurried over to her mother, helping her up to her feet. Mako and the previous generation joined them, checking on her neck. Noa rubbed her throat but assured them all she was fine.

"Go help your team," Noa gestured to the fight at hand. Though the Rangers had the numbers on their side, as well as Serena's rage, Dekker and Dayu were strong enough to hold the advantage. They really had nothing to lose. Mia nodded her head and hurried over, slashing Dayu across the back with her sword before she could get too close to Kevin.

Noa and the others took a deep breath. Unlike their children, they didn't have their Ranger suits to protect them, but that wasn't enough to stop them from helping. Mako ran into her living room and when she came back, she had four swords in her hands. She tossed them to the parents, who looked at her in shock.

"By weapons I thought you meant…" David started but he couldn't finish. He was too surprised.

Noa was even more surprised, "MOM! I let you raise my daughter in this house! You raised me in this house!"

"There were never any serious injuries," Mako shrugged her shoulders and then with a cry, she went to help Mia, the blue Ranger, and the red Ranger face off against Dayu.

David and Patrick shrugged their shoulders and went to help as well, with David going after Dekker, and Patrick going against Dayu.

Noa looked down and her sword and shook her head. This was a discussion for another time. With a cry, she went after Dayu. They had an old score to settle.

Dekker couldn't believe the power he was facing. Not only did he have on Ranger fighting against him in Super Samurai Mode, but he also had the gold Ranger, the green Ranger, the yellow Ranger, and the green Ranger's father coming after him. This was the kind of power he had been searching for, for centuries. Urumasa roared to life, only fueling his strength. With a mighty blow, he knocked down his first opponent. The fight was far from won, but Dekker was one step closer. Nothing would stop him from finding his son.

"Dad!" Mike cried as he father fell. Dekker watched and his rage only doubled as son raced over to father to make sure he was okay. With a loud roar, he aimed another attack in the green Rangers' direction.

"MIKE!" Emily screamed, taking the hit meant for them. She powered down as she sunk to her knees and then slumped back into Mike's arms. Mike was really beating himself up now. His father was down and by going to check up on him he had left Emily wide open.

He clenched his fists and picked up his sword. Now it was only him, Antonio, and Serena against Dekker.

Dayu had a lot more to worry about than Dekker did. She had three generations of pink Rangers assaulting her, two generations of blue, and the red Ranger and her sword didn't power up to help her out. She found herself flat on her back, but then saw an opening she needed to take.

Patrick fell to the ground, screaming loudly in pain as he clutched the back of his leg, right at the calf. Blood seeped through his fingers. With one of her opponents out of six finally down, Dayu found her second win. Like what the green Ranger had done for his father, the blue Ranger hurried over to defend his. Before he was ready, though, Dayu attacked, slashing him several times across the chest until he powered down and sunk to the floor. She then turned around and locked eyes with the pink Ranger. She couldn't see her face, but she knew she had pissed her off.

"Hurts, doesn't it?"

Mako knew the Samurai always bonded, but she saw something different in the way Mia held herself as Dayu stood over the blue Ranger. Quickly, she looked to Noa, who nodded her head.

"We'll talk later," Noa promised. She knew about Mia and Kevin, but she hadn't shared the news with her mother, assuming it was an announcement Mia would want to make herself.

In that time, Jayden regrouped with the pink Rangers, standing strong alongside them. Dayu had taken down both blue Rangers, but that was as far as anyone was going to let her go.

Just then, there was a loud crash and Jayden looked over to see Antonio trying to pick himself up from inside the broken coffee table in the living room. Dekker had hit him so hard that he had flown from the hallway into the living room and smashed through the table. Mia saw Jayden looking over and gave him a nod.

"Go help him. We'll be fine."

Jayden didn't need to be told twice. He bolted over to Antonio and helped him up to his feet. Antonio was hurt, but he hadn't yet powered down.

"I'm okay to fight," Antonio promised.

Mike was smashed into the wall next and he slumped to the ground. By now the Samurai had all seen enough. The pink Samurai came to Mike's side, with Noa helping him up, and Jayden and Antonio hurried over as well. Dayu stood before all of them, smirking wickedly.

Dekker and Serena were still locked in a fierce battle, neither willing to give up.

"Talk about custody battles," Antonio muttered as he tried to shake the cobwebs.

"You can make this easy for yourselves, Rangers," Dayu said. "Where is the boy?"

Over the sounds of swords clashing, Serena heard Dayu say this and it pushed her over the edge. She took her eyes off Dekker for a moment and landed a decisive blow on an unsuspecting Dayu, leaving a deep, oozing cut on her back, from the shoulder down to the opposite hip. Dayu screamed loudly in pain and fell face first to the ground.

Dekker watched her fall and then saw his opening. With Serena out of the way, nothing would stop him from taking back his son, and Serena was still distracted with Dayu. He lifted his sword, ready to finish her off.

Then three gunshots sounded. The first pierced through his Nighlok skin on the shoulder, causing him some pain. The second hit his chest. Both were enough to stagger him for a moment, giving Serena enough time to spin back around and strike him, forcing him back into his human form.

Then the third shot was heard and Dekker felt a hit in his chest once again. The last thing he heard as he hit the ground and before he blacked out was a deep and threatening voice.

"Always watch out for the grandpa with a shotgun."


	7. Family's Strength

When Dekker woke up next he was in unbearable pain. It seemed his blacking out hadn't been enough for the Rangers to end the battle. Based on how much pain he was in, as well as where the pain was located, the Samurai had taken a few free hits to make sure he wouldn't be coming back.

He turned his head, trying to figure out where he was. The red sky quickly told him he was in the Netherworld.

"It's a shame it had to end like this," he heard a voice say and he lifted his head only slightly to look at who had taken care of him. Serrator sat on a rock, still in pain by the looks of it, but his recovery was coming along. Though Serena's stab to his chest hadn't been deadly, it had taken him out for a long time. But now it seemed he was recovered enough to care for Dekker and Dayu.

Dekker's partner in crime was lying on the ground next to him. Dekker saw she was tied down by chains, forced to lay there on her stomach while Serrator treated her back. Then Dekker looked up. His arms were above his head and he was also chained down. He pulled but he wasn't strong enough to break free, especially with his injuries.

"This is what happens when you fight with heart," Serrator growled, "You lose. Fortunately, I still need you both."

"Let me go…"

"You won't get very far," Serrator shook his head, "Rest for now, Dekker. I will keep my eye on you. When it is time, I will let you go."

"My son…"

"All in good time, Dekker," Serrator promised.

-Samurai-

Mia knew she shouldn't have been happy at all, but she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. After practically two years away from home she was finally back.

She knew it wouldn't last for long, but a quick reunion was better than none at all. However, before the reunion could get started, some of the Samurai needed to be looked after. There was nothing too serious that needed to be dealt with, but it was enough to keep everyone busy.

Serena had searched the house until she found Terran and was now back in the living room, sitting on the couch with him in her lap. She was promising him a thousand things, but most of all she promised he would never have to live with the Nighlok.

Mike was tending to his father, who had fallen against Dekker. From the freezer he brought a frozen bag of corn (it was all Mia's grandmother had left) and he gently placed it on his father's head. David assured him that he would be fine. Mike's mother was also helping by bandaging a few cuts on her husband, and insisted Mike sit still so she could do the same for him.

Jack was sitting on the couch with Emily, double and even triple checking her symptoms to make sure his little girl wasn't hurt. When Emily started to whine that he was being too protective, he pulled her in for a tight hug.

Kevin's mother was going back and forth between her husband and her son. Both had fallen against Dayu and both needed to be looked after. As she finished with the stitching of Patrick's leg, she looked to Kevin's chest. Fortunately it wasn't torn up from Dekker's attack thanks to the suit, but it was badly bruised. She had used the rest of the ice in Mako's fridge for Kevin's chest, which was why Mike was using corn for his dad's head.

Jayden wanted to make sure Antonio was okay after smashing through the coffee table. As Mia watched, she was certain Jayden just wanted to have a look at Antonio's butt. She shook her head and chuckled to herself.

"I respect you," she heard someone say over her shoulder and turned around to find James. He was giving Serena some much needed time with Terran, and by the looks of it, he was also resting. Mia furrowed her brow curiously.

"You didn't before?"

"I mean I respect you even more," James gestured to Mako, who was running around and checking up on everyone. They were guests in her home and she would be damned if anything happened to them. Mia hadn't even gotten the chance to say an official hello to her grandmother, but she knew it was coming. James just sighed loudly, "She's tough."

"That's what I try to tell the others," Mia nodded and chuckled. "She's not your typical grandmother."

"Does she know about Kevin?" James asked. He pointed to Mia's grandmother again, who seemed to be paying a little extra attention to the blue Ranger.

"I haven't said anything. There's the no contact rule."

"Which I know you've all broken at least once," James smirked. "You didn't tell her?"

Mia shook her head, "When would I? At first Kevin and I were just… no big deal. Then it turned into a big deal, but not enough to break the number one rule."

"And then you got engaged."

"It felt right telling her face to face. Any other way would have been… not right," Mia shrugged.

James gave her a pat on the shoulder and then walked over to the blue Samurai and Mako. He told her he would help take care of them while she gave Mia a well-deserved hug.

Meanwhile, on the couch, Serena was talking back and forth with Terran – with a lot more forth than back. Though he was babbling quite a bit now, there were still no words coming from his mouth. Serena could see he was trying hard, but it would still be a while. Hopefully long enough so she wouldn't miss it.

She couldn't believe how close Dekker had come to getting what he wanted. Had Mia not thought of assembling the previous generations, had her father not shown up, Dekker would have been long gone with Terran and Serena would be living with the thought of possibly never seeing him again.

Thinking of that, she looked up to the other couch, where her father and Emily were sitting. She gave him a glare. She was happy he had shown up. Without him Dekker could have possibly won the fight, but she couldn't understand why. He had been told to stay away for his own safety.

"You…"

"Relax, Serena," Jack could read her like an open book and knew exactly what she was going to yell at him for. He chuckled, "That's why I brought the gun. Besides, if anything happened to your girls or Terran…"

"Still," Serena growled, "You're not a Samurai, dad. This isn't your fight. And you left mom wide open…"

"She's with the neighbours," Jack shrugged. This only seemed to anger Serena more.

"You put them in danger too?"

"Danger?" Jack laughed a little harder, "Sweetheart, I would never put the neighbours in danger. They know exactly what they're doing."

"They…"

"They're friends," Jack smirked. Serena's jaw dropped. Emily pulled away from her father and gave him a funny look.

"Elizabeth, Peter, and the kids work for the Samurai?"

"You didn't think the Samurai would move so far away from the Shiba House and not have some kind of fall-back, did you?"

"Those kids always picked on me!" Emily cried. She crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "That's just mean!"

Terran cooed, trying to tell his aunt something. Emily looked to him with a smile and then she could help herself. She got up, switching seats so she was beside Serena, and she took Terran in her arms, hugging him close.

"I knew nothing would happen to you. I promised mommy, but she didn't believe me. Always believe me, little Monster."

Serena smiled and wrapped her arms around Emily and Terran. Finally she felt like her family was safe. A little banged up, but everything would work out. All she could ask for now was certainty that Dekker, wherever he ended up, wouldn't bother her again. He was in for a world of hurt if he ever decided to come back and try this little stunt again.

"Here," Jack held out his shotgun for Serena to take, "I've got another one back home, and with that crazy ex of yours, you'll need something to drive him away before he gets within arms' reach."

Serena took the shotgun and examined it. Though she had been around it all her life on the farm, she had never used one before.

And it was obvious. Accidently, she fired it. Fortunately it only went through the window, and fortunately the neighbourhood had heard the battle going on and were already all long gone. The only damage was too the window.

"Whoops."

Emily, who had pulled Terran into her chest to cover him, and covered her ears at the same time, pointed a look at her sister, "And you call me the klutz."

Noa groaned, inspecting the damaged window and then sighed, "It's not like this place isn't trashed already."

Jack took the shotgun back, "Maybe I'll give this to Jayden to give to Ji."

Serena nodded her head and took her son back from Emily to comfort him.

-Samurai-

Mako took Mia into another room to talk. This was the first time she had seen her granddaughter in nearly two years after sending her out to the war against the Nighlok. She didn't care if it was only for a few minutes, she was going to take her little girl into her arms and tell her just how proud she was of her.

She had been following the Samurai on the news, and could swear her gray hair was because of them. She couldn't help but watch every moment captured and though she had no god, she pray every night that Mia would make it home safe and sound.

As soon as they were in her bedroom, Mako pulled Mia in, holding her close, hugging her tight.

Mia did something her friends rarely ever saw her do. She broke down. Unlike the others, she very rarely spoke of her family. Even Jayden seemed to bring up his father more than Mia ever mentioned her mother, her father or her grandmother.

Family was huge for Mia, especially her grandmother. When she thought her parents had abandoned her, her grandmother had taken her in and never once refused to give her a home. When her parents returned and Mia fought against going back to her old house with them, she knew her grandmother could have refused to let her stay, forcing her back with her family, but she never had. She promised Mia a home where she felt safest, and have given up her life to raise her and train her.

"You are so much stronger than I ever imagined you would be," Mako held Mia out at arm's length to get a good look at her, "You will never know how proud I am of you."

Mia tried to dry her eyes as she looked at her grandmother, "I just keep reminding myself what you taught me," she said. "Every day I hear your voice."

"Are they treating you well over there?" Mako asked with a little smile, "We've got everyone there, and I've got Ji's father on speed dial. If there's anyone you want to complain about…"

"Sobo," Mia chuckled, "They're great, all of them. Jayden's an amazing red Ranger, Mike's like a little brother, Antonio's… well, he's Antonio, and Serena and Emily are the sisters I never had."

"And the boy in blue?" Mako smirked, "Kevin, I believe his name was."

Mia started to blush and suddenly found her shoes very interesting. At times she felt like the oldest in the Shiba House by generations, finding herself in the mother role, even though Serena was a little older. Now she felt like a sixteen year old girl with a crush. She stuffed her left hand in her pocket. Mako noticed and grabbed it, pulling it out. Then she shook her head.

"Mia…"

"It's him, Sobo. I know it is," Mia instantly came to Kevin's defense. Her grandmother could be protective, and she had every right to be. Mia's search for a prince charming hadn't been easy.

"The life of a Samurai is very different from the real world," her grandmother warned her. "How can you be sure he won't up and leave the minute he's done?"

"He's had plenty of chances to run before," Mia muttered. Then she looked to her grandmother and stomped her foot, "But it's Kevin. I love him and he's never done anything to hurt me."

"Two years cannot represent a lifetime…"

"So I have to wait forever before I get married?" Mia softened her expression. If she raised her voice with her grandmother she was sure to never get her way. Though nothing would stop her from marrying Kevin, her perfect wedding would be ruined if her grandmother wasn't there supporting her. As it stood now, with her father across the country and his secret son Mia had only learned about through a letter almost a day before he turned up, Mia was even considering mixing it up and asking her grandmother to walk her down the aisle instead of her father. She looked her grandmother in the eyes, trying to stay calm, "You know when I was a little girl, and you and Sofu would tell me about the day you two met and how you fell in love? That's exactly how Kevin and I feel now. I know it's real, Sobo."

"Mia…"

"And we're getting married after the war. We'll live with each other outside of the Samurai life for a while. We'll be ready, I promise. He's a good man."

Mako looked down at the ring on Mia's hand. Her granddaughter had never been an idiot. She had had a few questionable dates, and some boyfriends she wasn't a fan of, but what teenage girl hadn't fallen for the wrong guy? But now, Mia seemed certain of her decision and Mako could already tell Kevin was a good man. His grandfather had been, and from what she had seen of his father, he was as well. She took Mia's hand and smiled brightly.

"Only the best for my princess."

A smile lit up Mia's face and she threw herself into her grandmother's arms. Mako would never know just how happy she had made Mia.


	8. Goodbye To Loved Ones

Inevitably, the Samurai Rangers needed to go home. Mako had invited everyone to stay an extra night in her home, knowing they were likely tired or still sore from their battle against Dayu and Dekker, but the Rangers were needed back at the Shiba House. Ji had called the morning after the fight to tell them Dekker and Dayu had trashed everything and he needed a few hands to help him with the mess.

Saying goodbye was never easy.

Mike looked over his father once more, hating that he had to leave before he was absolutely sure there was nothing wrong with his father's head. His mother would take good care of him, but Mike needed to know for himself. His father hugged him tight, promising his skull was thick enough to take a hit from Dekker.

Emily was saying goodbye to Terran. Serena had already spent the night and day with her son and knew that if she didn't tear herself away now, she would never leave. It was getting late again, so Emily was putting Terran to bed, saying goodbye by giving him a bedtime story and tucking him in. James knew Terran would look for her and for Serena when he woke up, but this needed to be done.

Kevin was up on his feet, and like Mike was checking up on his father one more time before leaving. Both had taken hits but Kevin was more used to it than his father was, and he knew he would bounce back before the former blue Ranger.

Mia finished saying goodbye to her grandmother and wiped away the tears in her eyes before anyone else saw them. She then went to say goodbye to her mother, while Mako set her eyes on Kevin. She had spoken about their engagement with Mia the night before, but she hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Kevin. She pulled him aside.

"There's a rock on my baby girl's finger that was not there when I sent her away."

Kevin gulped. He had heard stories from James of how the older woman had trained him and was really happy he was heading out the door soon. It seemed Mia had not been exaggerating one bit when she talked to him about her grandmother.

"Mrs. Watanabe…"

"Mako," she corrected him, "You're family now, whether I like it or not."

"D-Do you like it?"

"For now, you make my granddaughter happy. If you're anything like your grandfather, then I trust you won't do anything stupid. But break her heart and you're going to learn why I wore the pink spandex. And I'll tell you now, pink has always been able to kick blue's ass. Isn't that right, Patrick?"

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Watanabe," Patrick responded, very unsure of the question, but he knew better than to argue with the former pink Ranger.

She nodded her head and gave Kevin a gentle tap on the cheek. Kevin turned away, looking a little pale. He had no intention of ever hurting Mia, but if all the stories were true, and they seemed more likely now that he had spent time with her, then he was in for a little bit of crazy no matter what.

Mia chuckled as Kevin approached her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, "She's really sweet once she warms up to you."

"I hope so."

"I talked to your mom for the first time," Mia looked up at Kevin, "She seems really nice."

"And she doesn't hide weapons in her pantry."

In the living room, Jack had pulled Serena aside to talk with her privately. He had spent most of his time with Emily, making sure she was okay after the fight, but he really wanted to talk with Serena about a few of the choices she had made: especially giving up Terran.

"Do you remember the day your mother told you she would be leaving to fight in a war?" he asked her. Serena looked to him and shook her head. She had known her whole childhood that her mother would one day disappear. Jack wrapped his arms around her and hugged her warmly, "You blew a gasket. You were only a little girl and the thought of your mother leaving terrified you to no end. During the day, you ignored her, but at night, you would scream until she let you sleep with us in our bed. This lasted for months. You eventually started to talk to her again, after she sat you down and told you it would be a long time before she went anywhere, and you slept in your own bed after a while… but I think you're still scared."

Serena furrowed her brow, "You said you wanted to talk to me about giving up Terran."

Jack nodded, "You're not losing him, Serena," he gestured out to the hallway, where everyone was saying goodbye, "He's got a huge family outside the Shiba House who all want to see him with you. James has even brought Terran up to the farm a few times. Your mother and I are keeping an eye on him. Nothing's going to happen."

"But dad…"

"And nothing's going to happen to your mother or me," Jack promised her, "The Nighlok don't scare me, and you're mother's still got a lot of fight left in her. And as you know, the neighbours…"

"Are friends with Ji, yeah."

"We're safe too. And your sister told me about the new rule…"

"I was worried Dayu would…"

"You're not losing her either."

Serena shook her head, "Dad, you can't promise that. You and mom, and even Terran, maybe, but…"

"The one thing the Nighlok will never take away from us is our family. Worrying about us, letting the fear drive you, you're not helping yourself. The Nighlok thrive when you give them that. When you fight with anger, when you lose yourself in fear and worry, you make them stronger. I'm keeping my eyes on your mother, and Terran when I can. As long as I live, you can know, without a doubt in your mind, that they are happy and they are safe. Your mother would tell you the same the thing."

"But dad…"

"Have fun, Serena. Keep those fears in the back of your mind so you don't lose sight of what's important, but you're still young. Enjoy yourself; go out with your sister and the other Rangers. Be happy with them. That'll hurt the Nighlok more than any battle ever could."

Serena gently nodded her head and her father smiled. He kissed her forehead and then got up to say goodbye to the rest of the Samurai Rangers.

Back in the living room, Mike was finishing with his goodbye to his father when Emily and his mother came back from upstairs. This was the first time the two were meeting. As they approached Mike, he saw his mother had his hands on Emily's shoulders.

"Don't let this one get away," she said, looking him right in the eyes. Mike's jaw dropped.

"My mother's on your side?"

"She's a cute girl, Mike," his mother said, "with a good head on her shoulders. You've done well for yourself."

"I hate to say it," Jayden called from the door, "but we should really go before it gets too dark."

"In other words, Jayden wants to go home. All this lovey-dovey family stuff is making him miss Mentor," Antonio teased and he was nudged by Jayden for it.

"He's right, we should go," Emily said. She hurried over to her father, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then went to stand by Antonio and Jayden.

Mike saw her race off and turned to his mother, "What did you do?"

"She and I talked. She's a sweet girl," his mother smirked innocently. She pulled him into a hug, and just as he thought, she whispered in his ear, "The cute ones are the ones you need to look out for. Trust me, Mike."

Mike gave her a kiss on the cheek, then said goodbye to his dad and started for the door.

Kevin did the same with his parents.

Serena gave her father one final goodbye hug and then turned to James. She hadn't gotten much chance to talk to him but she wouldn't leave without doing so.

"Have Terran visit my parents more often," she told him. "Make sure someone, a neighbour or something, knows where you are at all times. Give them my number in case…"

"Serena, he'll be fine. He's my son too. I'll take good care of him."

"Not with those noodle arms you won't," Mako shook her head, "You'll be coming here every day for training."

"Sobo…"

"No, Mia, if he wants to care for a little Samurai by himself, he'll need to know how to protect the little Samurai."

"Serena…" James whined, hoping she would excuse him. Serena laughed and shook her head.

"I love that idea. Mia's grandmother will be able to keep her eyes on both of you."

Mia rolled her eyes and gave her grandmother a hug, "Don't kill this one. Serena actually likes him."

"If that fiancé of yours ever steps out of line, I can open up a second spot…"

"He's fine, Sobo," Mia shook her head, "Goodbye."

"Stay safe, princess."

"C'mon, guys," Jayden led them all out the door, "Ji's waiting."

Final goodbyes were made and the Samurai were out the door. Emily the fastest of all. Mike chuckled.

"What did my mother say?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

"C'mon, Em…"

"She'll know," Emily shook her head, "Why didn't you warn me your mother was super protective?"

"Because I didn't know. Besides, she's got to like you. She said…"

"She likes me," Emily nodded, "but it's complicated."

"You were upstairs for five minutes with her," Antonio laughed, "How…"

"It's complicated."

While the boys tried to get an answer from Emily, Mia turned to Serena.

"We won. Terran's safe and sound."

"Yeah."

"Don't worry about him," Mia wrapped her arm around Serena, giving her a small hug, "When my grandmother promises to take care of something, she takes care of it. And we beat Dekker up pretty bad after your dad shot him. If he is still alive, it'll be a while before he comes back."

"And when he does come back…"

"Serena, you'll kick his ass."

"I say that every time and that still doesn't stop him."

"Terran's safe with all our families now. The little army we assembled isn't breaking off after today and forgetting all about him. He's safe, and you have something else you need to focus on. You're a Ranger now. We need you with us."

Serena smiled, "There's a sale at the mall tomorrow. If we get the house cleaned up in time, wanna go?"

"Are we taking munchkin with us?"

"Do I go anywhere without my sister?"

Mia shook her head, "Some places, I hope. So you're feeling better?"

"Things are good now," Serena answered as she wrapped both arms around Mia, "No sense in worrying. I might as well enjoy the time now."


End file.
